Police: Man fakes Down syndrome, hires caregivers to change diapers

GILBERT, AZ (WCMH) – An Arizona man was arrested, accused of pretending to have Down syndrome and hiring caregivers to bathe him and change his diapers.

According to police, 31-year-old Paul Anthony Menchaca posed as “Amy” and hired a caregiver to bathe and change the diapers of her “son” with down syndrome, KNXV reported.

Investigators said Menchaca’s victims, all women, responded to ads on CareLinx.com. The first victim said she helped bathe and change Menchaca’s diapers on 30 separate occasions, KTVK reported.

That victim told police there were five “… separate incidents when [Menchaca] aggressively said his genitals were not cleaned enough ….”

“’Amy’ asked all three victims to ‘punish’ [Menchaca] when he soiled his diaper by putting him in timeout and taking away his privileges,” according to the probable cause for arrest statement. “All three victims were paid in cash by [Menchaca] when they picked him up and dropped him off from neutral locations.”

“He needed shower and grooming, he couldn’t use the bathroom himself, he couldn’t really be alone by himself. He acted like a child; his whole demeanor was childlike. He would act in tantrums, talk like a child, act like a child,” one caregiver told KNXV. “Why would you do that? Why would you make us change you knowing you didn’t have to. Why didn’t you give us a choice?”

Menchaca was found out when the first victim became suspicious and followed him home. All three victims eventually confronted Menchaca, who admitted to lying.

Menchaca has been employed by a local school district for two years in various support staff positions. He resigned on August 31.

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